Hidden Truths
by forestelf5
Summary: Harry is on a mission to find out who Hermione's mystery romance man is. He joins up with a group of unlikely people to help him solve this puzzle. How far is Harry willing to go? What will happen when he finds about the secret that will chage his life fo
1. Chapter 1

**_Hidden Truths_ **

**_Chapter 1: Something Amiss_ **

Harry was alone, something that was quite unusual. For once Ron and Hermione were elsewhere. His scar prickled and he looked up just in time to see Hermione whisk into a passageway. That was strange. She had told him and Ron that she would be in the library. Harry kept on walking. He would ask her later what she was doing all the way down in the dungeons. The dungeons were dark and damp. Perspiration hung in the air, hanging on Harry's every breath. The only reason why he was there was because Dobby had wanted to tell him something, but didn't want anyone to hear. He dragged Harry all the way to the dungeons to tell him that someone close to him was being deceitful. Why didn't he tell Harry who? He sighed. He didn't know what was worse, Dobby's mysterious person or that he had to walk all the way from the dungeons to lunch, just to come back again.

When Harry reached the Great Hall he saw that Hermione wasn't back yet from her mysterious venture to the dungeons. He spotted Ron and plopped into the seat next to him. He looked around. The Great Hall was bustling with students. The noise was moderate and if he concentrated he could hear some distant conversations about the latest Quidditch match.

"What's wrong Harry? You look dreadful." Ron looked at him worried.

"Oh nothing." He explained what Dobby had said, though he thought better than to tell Ron about Hermione's appearance in the dungeons. It would be best if he found out what it was all about first.

Hermione walked into lunch just as Harry and Ron were finishing up. She sat down next to them, breathing deeply, giving the impression that she had run to the Great Hall.

"What's the matter with you?" Ron asked looking at her.

"Oh, nothing," she puffed. "I just wanted to get here before lunch was over." With that, she put some food onto her plate and began to eat at breakneck speed.

"Where were you?" Ron asked demandingly.

"Just studying in the library, but I forgot my things and had to run all the way back up to the common room and back down."

"Oh." That was the end of the conversation.

They walked down to potions class and waited for Professor Snape to let them in. Potions class went by with out a hitch. By the time they had reached the Gryffindor common room, Harry knew something was wrong.

"Does anything seem unusual to you today?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it seems as though something is missing or different." Ron replied.

"I just can't seem to think of what it is." Harry said. His eyes glazed over as he slipped into his thoughts.

"Oh, well," Ron said. "We might as well start our homework."

He pulled his homework towards him to begin. About halfway through he ran out of ink.

"I'll be back. I just have to go get more ink."

"Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Yes?" She answered with out looking up.

"Why were you in the dungeons today?" Harry looked at her and thought he saw a worried expression cross her face. He blinked and it was gone.

"Oh you saw me?"

"Yes."

"Well you see…"

Ron entering the room cut her off and she returned to her homework. Harry busied himself with doing his homework, but only with half of his attention. The rest was wondering what Hermione was about to say.

Hermione went up to bed a few minutes later, so Harry didn't get a chance to question her again. After failing to finish his homework, he went up to bed. He lay on his side, brooding about what Hermione was doing down in the dungeon. All the while Dobby's words echoed through his head. _Someone is being deceitful to you_; he turned over trying to get them out of his head. No it wasn't possible. Hermione wouldn't betray him and Ron, though still, she was acting pretty strange. Harry shook his head. Hermione was his friend and he should trust her. Still he had trouble going to sleep and when he finally did he had nightmares of betrayal stalking his sleep.

The next morning Harry went downstairs early to see Hermione before she went to breakfast. After waiting for a while, he decided that she must have already gone down to breakfast. Harry ran downstairs and arrived at the Great Hall in a flurry of loose papers that had moments ago covered the floor. He looked around, no Hermione. Where could she be? He sat down for breakfast. A moment later Ron came in yawning.

"Good, morning." Ron yawned.

"Hey, have you seen Hermione?"

"No, not yet."

"She went out this morning right before breakfast was ready to be served," said Ginny, hopping down into the seat next to Ron.

"Oh, do you know where she's gone?"

Ginny pursed her lips in a typical Hermione way. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to know what she is up to." Harry said looking at her. He was sure she knew where she was.

"All I know is where she is."

"Then what is she doing," Harry and Ron asked.

"That would be my business." Hermione said as she sat down next to Harry.

"We were just wondering." said Harry. He kept his eyes on his food, so she couldn't see the suspicion that he knew was there.

"Well…," Ron said, his eyes searching around the Great Hall looking for something else to talk about. "Hey, what has Malfoy been up to lately? He has been quiet." Ron said as his eyes saw Malfoy coming into the Great Hall.

"Probably thinking up something horrible," Harry muttered.

"Why can't he just leave us alone?" Hermione said exasperatedly. Harry could see that she was happy to change the subject, and grabbed on to it with much enthusiasm.

"Yeah," Harry said. He really wanted to ask her what she was up to, but decided against it.

"By the way, have you two finished your homework?" Harry and Ron sighed.

"You know, we're not as smart as you Hermione. We don't do homework that should take us two days in ten minutes."

Hermione just shrugged, "Too bad." With that, she flew off again.

"What is up with her?" Ron said, gapping at her as she walked away.

"I have no clue, but I plan to find out."

Harry followed Hermione down through the twists and turns of the dungeons. She obviously knew where she was going and walked with the air of someone going about their usual routine. His stomach lurched at the thought that he was spying on one of his best friends. He knew he should trust her, but he just didn't know. She had been acting weird lately and as Ron had so politely put it, "weirder than usual." She seemed more aloof and strangely distant. Even her schoolwork, which usually interested Hermione, seemed to be a waste of time. Lately, it was rare that she had her hand up to answer a question, let alone take sufficient notes.

He was going to get to the bottom of this; he had to. Lurking around the corner, he stuck his head out just in time to see Hermione dodge into a room. This was it, he thought, his stomach doing flips and turns. He ran crouched to the door. It was open a crack and voices were floating through the door in indistinct whispers. His face leaned against the cold dark wood of the door and he could just make out Hermione talking to a familiar voice.

"Did anyone follow you?" Said the faintly familiar voice.

"Not that I can tell, but we're going to have to tell Harry and Ron sometime. Harry is getting a little suspicious." Hermione spoke this time.

"He'll never put two and two together, not unless he follows you."

"Maybe, but he'll probably follow me. We can't hide this forever."

"Yes, but they definitely will not approve," Harry knew this voice, but from where? His brain was screwed up in concentration as he ran through lists of names.

"I can't stay long today, I promised Ginny I'd help her with some of her work."

"Okay."

Harry leaned forward and gently pushed the door a little. Sweat glittered along his face. He could just barely see two figures. He edged it open a bit more. SQUEAKKKKKKKKK! The door made a loud violent noise.

"What was that?" asked the voice again.

"I don't know. I'll check."

Harry ran around the corner and stood flat against the cool surface of the wall breathing hard. He heard footsteps fall against the floor of the room from around the corner. Harry held his breathe as he heard the door open and he knew someone was sticking their head out of it. Please don't look around the corner. Please don't look. As if reading Harry's mind, the person began to walk toward the corner. Harry knew in a few steps he would be found, one…. two….

"Don't bother, it was probably just the draft." Hermione said from inside the room. "There is a horrible draft down here."

Did he steal himself to…? Harry didn't know. He edged himself toward the corner. Did he dare peak his head out? And what was stopping him form bursting in there and seeing whom it was? Harry sighed. He knew Hermione would never forgive him if he did that. He took a deep breath and stuck his head out from around the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2: Truth or Lies?_**

Harry looked at the now empty corridor. If he hadn't waited so long, maybe he would have seen who it was instead of part of a robe. He was angry at first with himself, then with Hermione. Why wouldn't she tell Ron and him about whom she was meeting? They had been friends since they had first come to Hogwarts. Did all those years mean nothing? Harry was confused and angry, two things that he hated to be. When he got back to the common room he found Ron in an armchair by the fire.

"So?" He asked.

"Nothing," Harry sighed. He had gone all the way down there for nothing.

"Well maybe next time," Ron said encouragingly.

"Yeah but next time you go!" Harry looked over at Ron.

"Well… I'm not as good at sneaking around, as you are Harry. I'll trip or something," he was right of course. Ron had a tendency to trip over his abnormally large feet. He probably would blow it.

"I don't get what the big deal is. I mean why not just tell us?"

"Because…" Ginny said, she went over and took the seat next to Ron. "She is afraid of what you might say."

"She doesn't know what we'll say," Ron said indignantly.

"Do you know what she is doing?" Harry now directed his question to Ginny.

"Of course I do!" Ginny said exasperatedly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You didn't know before."

"I did, but Hermione said I shouldn't let you know I knew." Ginny acted as though she were saying something that made complete sense.

"But now?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Now I think you two should know." They all leaned in together as she spoke.

"So?" Harry asked, he could no longer hide his excitement.

"The reason Hermione always goes off is because…"

"I'm tutoring," Hermione cut in, she had come from no where.

"Where did you come from?" Ron asked.

"The reason why I'm always gone is because I'm tutoring," she said again ignoring Ron's question.

"Is that right?" Harry asked Ginny.

"Yeah," Ginny said. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Ginny shake her head slightly.

Harry looked over at her uneasily. He had a feeling that Hermione wasn't being honest. But why would she lie?

"Who are you tutoring?" Harry asked looking Hermione straight in the eyes.

"I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone," she muttered dropping her gaze to the floor.

Harry looked over at her. From past experiences he knew that when Hermione dropped her eyes it meant that she wasn't being entirely truthful. In fact, both girls looked a little bit edgy as they muttered excuses and headed up to their rooms.

"I don't know." It was the next morning and Ron and Harry were on their way to the Entrance Hall. People were gathered up as they got onto the line to go to Hogsmead.

"Why didn't she want to come again?" Harry asked Ron.

"She said she wanted to get a head start on her homework," Ron said dolefully.

"I don't believe her," Harry said. He said it with so much conviction that Ron stared at Harry. "Well… I mean… Come on. When has she ever missed a Hogsmead trip?" He waited for an answer, when none came he went on. "It just so happens that she doesn't want to go to Hogsmead around the same time that this mystery guy shows up."

"Well you do have a point," Ron said.

Snow fell dully around them as Harry and Ron went about the village. Harry pondered possible people she could be with, while Ron looked around at the shops.

Harry went and stared at a window, not really seeing the whirling and spinning toys. That's when a movement caught his eye. He spun around in time to see Hermione enter a building, which Harry recognized as one of his favorite places to get butter beer. The person she was with obviously didn't want them to know who he was because he was wrapped tightly in a cloak.

"Here!" Harry said grabbing Ron's arm, leading him towards the building.

"What?" Ron looked back at the store.

"I saw Hermione go in here with someone!" Harry muttered in a low, urgent voice to Ron.

"Oh," comprehension dawned on his face and he followed Harry willingly.

The pub was bright and even though happy music played all around them, Harry had a sense of foreboding, but he plowed forward through the crowd. Harry spotted Hermione out of the corner of his eye and headed toward her table.

"Hey! Hermione!" Harry shouted when they were close enough.

"Oh, hey guys," Hermione said. She looked startled.

"Why didn't you tell us you changed your mind?"

"Well… You had already left… And I decided to go… and…" She trailed off nervously.

"Mind if we sit down?" Harry said.

"Well…"

"Sit down Potter, you're in the way!" Someone drawled from behind him.

Harry spun around and found himself face to face with Draco Malfoy. "What do you want?" Harry spat at him.

"Just trying to get to my seat," he said. He pushed past them to take a seat right at the next table.

"Great!" Harry muttered as he and Ron sat down across from Hermione.

"So…" Hermione said nervously. She wasn't off the hook yet.

"Where is the person you came in with?" Harry asked her, yet again looking straight into her face. She looked down and he inspected the surrounding tables.

"What?" Hermione was taken completely unaware.

"Where is he?"

"No one… No one was with me!" Hermione stuttered.

"No one?" He stared at her smiling. "Then will you please explain something to me? Why are there two butter beers on this table?"

"Well… It was there and…" Hermione looked lost for words.

"Hermione, they never leave a butter beer on a table. They clear it before you get seated. I come here all the time." Harry looked her in the eyes and smiled. He had caught her.

"Got to go!" Hermione said suddenly and, leaving a few galleons on the table, she jumped up and left.

Harry followed her all the way to the post office, but then lost her in the rush of people heading back to Hogwarts. He was mad that he hadn't caught her, but she couldn't hide forever.

With that, Harry and Ron joined the line to the carriages. After waiting what seemed like forever, they finally hopped into one. A few minutes later, they were warming their hands in front of the Gryffindor fire. Hermione was nowhere to be found.

Ginny found them sitting by the fire. Harry looked up as she crossed the room. He was determined to find out what Hermione was doing.

"Hey guys!" Ginny said, sitting down next to them.

"Hey," Ron and Harry chorused.

"Ginny, will you please tell me where Hermione is?" Harry asked.

"She still hasn't told you?" Ginny looked shocked. "Well you can't really blame her can you?" She said., sighing slightly.

"Why not?" Ron asked rudely.

"Because if I was in her situation, I probably wouldn't tell you two either," Ginny said, she looked sleepy.

Her eyes fluttered up and down.

With that she stood up and walked away, leaving the two boys confused. Harry scratched his head. It had seemed so easy. Just find out what Hermione was doing and who she was with. Now everything seemed so much more confusing. He sighed. He wasn't going to get anything done just lying about.

Harry found Hermione in the Library. She was reading one of her favorite books. _Hogwarts: A History_. He sat down next to her and waited until she realized he was there.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione said.

"Hey."

"So…"

"I have some questions," Harry said looking over at her.

"Listen Harry," Hermione said. She put down the book and looked at him. "I don't want you grilling me about everything and…"

"Hold on a minute!" Harry said cutting her off. "I know I've been asking you a lot of questions, and I came here to apologize." He gave her a minute and then continued. "It's just that you have been so preoccupied with something that… Well I got curious."

"Harry you are always curious," Hermione sighed.

"I know," he said patiently. If he did this, he would have to do it right. "But, you have been acting strange lately."

"I've just been preoccupied with… Um… homework and school you know." She said nervously.

Harry shook his head. "Come on stop lying to me. You haven't been paying attention in school. It isn't that. What is it?" He waited.

"I have to go," she got up to leave.

"Wait!" Harry said, he grabbed Hermione's arm.

Just then there was a crashing sound coming from the bookcase in front of them. Harry got up just in time to see two eyes move from between two books. Someone had been watching them. Harry went over to the bookshelf.

"Harry! Wait!" Hermione said from behind him.

He ignored her and went over to the shelf. Books were heaped about and pages fluttered around the area. Harry turned around when something caught his eye. He bent down and picked up a Prefect Badge. Someone was missing it, and who ever it was had just been spying on them.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3: Finding Help_ **

Harry stared down at the Prefect Badge in front of him. It had now been two weeks since he found it and there were only two choices. Number one and the most obvious, was that the person was a Prefect. Number two and least likely was that the Prefect Badge had been dropped before hand. That theory was squashed by a nagging Ginny, who so politely pointed out that if had been dropped before. The books would have been i _over_ /i the badge, not under it. The one thing Harry knew was that who ever dropped the badge; either was or knew the person Hermione was trying to hide from him and Ron.

Harry leaned against the side of the tree and sighed. How was he supposed to find out who this guy was? He had eight choices of who it could be. He copied all the names of the Prefects onto a piece of paper.

_Hermione Granger_

_Ronald Weasley_

_Ernie Macmillan_

_Hannah Abbott_

_Anthony Goldstein_

_Padma Patil_

_Pansy Parkinson_

_Draco Malfoy _

He immediately crossed off Hermione's name; she was with him when it happened. Harry was about to cross off Ron's name when he decided against it. You can never be too careful. It was a better idea to see where he had been at the time. Harry stretched and looked across the lake. Well he had seven names and the sooner he started the sooner he'd finish. It just seemed like a waste of a perfectly good day.

Harry found Ron dozing in one of the armchairs by the fire. He sat down next to him and watched for a bit. It couldn't be Ron, he would have told him, but then again… Ron had been known not to tell Harry a few things. Well better safe than sorry.

"Ron!" Harry shouted. Ron woke up startled.

"It wasn't me mum!" Ron looked around with a scared expression on his face. "Oh, Harry, it's just you." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ron, where were you when I went to see Hermione in the library?" Harry looked at Ron attentively.

"I was with Ginny, sitting here in front of the fire, talking about… stuff."

Without another word Harry went over to Ginny, who was playing with Crookshanks on the floor. She looked up startled as Harry bent down to talk to her.

"Ginny…" Harry began.

"Harry I'm not going to tell you who Hermione is…" It was Harry's turn to cut her off.

"No. It's not that," he said hurriedly. "I just want to know if you and Ron were in front of the fire talking around dinner time yesterday."

"Yeah, why? Did Ron tell you what we were talking about?" She asked suddenly.

"No, why? What were you talking about?" Harry looked at her with interest.

"Nothing," with that she stood up and left.

Harry crossed off Ron's name and looked to see who was next. Ernie Macmillan. Harry didn't exactly know where to find him, he could be anywhere at the moment. He could always wait until Herbology. But this was too important to put down now and wait.

Eventually Harry found Ernie in the library. He had a book propped open on the table in front of him with one hand, and with the other was writing down notes at top speed. His Prefect Badge was set on the left side of his robe. Harry fingered the badge in his pocket; Ernie could have gotten a replacement.

"Hey Ernie," Harry said sitting down next to the Hufflepuff.

"Hello Harry," Ernie replied without looking up.

"When was the last time you were in the library?" This caused Ernie to look up at him; guilt was clearly on his face.

"Well, to tell you the truth Harry. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I haven't step foot inside the library for over a week."

"Well, you'll catch up don't worry." Harry patted him on the back and stood up. "By the way, do you know where I can find Hannah?"

"Aye, I do. She should be in the Great Hall. Lately she has been hanging out there; it seems that some of the second years have started an illegal dueling club. It is rumored that is where they meet. She had been trying to catch them since last month."

"Thanks Ernie and good luck with your studies." Harry got up and left. Taking the paper out of his pocket as he went, Harry crossed off Ernie's name. The next stop was the Great Hall.

Harry found Hannah eyeing a suspicious group of second years when he got to the Great Hall. Like Ernie, she had her Prefect Badge on the left side of her robe. It glistened in the light issuing through the open door. With a pang Harry looked out side, it was beautiful day. The birds were chirping and a bunch of kids were laughing by the lake as the giant squid wallowed in the shallow end. He turned his attention back to Hannah.

"How is the hunt going?" Harry asked eyeing the second years as well.

"Well, I've been fallowing them every day, thy also meet around dinner time. Ernie use to come and help, but…" She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "It was keeping him from going to the library." She shrugged.

"So you do this every day?"

"Yes?"

"And around dinner time as well?"

"What is this an interrogation? I'm always here around dinner time."

"Good luck." With that Harry left. The paper now only had four names on it. Harry strode off looking for his next suspect.

Anthony Goldstein was next on the list, Harry wouldn't normally know where to find him, but on his way out of the Great Hall he decided to take a break and go outside. As soon as he got there, he noticed that Anthony was over by the lake talking to some of the girls. When Harry got there, all the girls were giggling at something Anthony had said.

"Hey Anthony," Harry said, making him jump two feet in the air. At this the girls burst out into laughter.

"Hey Harry," Anthony went red in the face at the girls laughter.

"Where were you yesterday around dinner time?"

One of the girls over heard him and answered. "He was out here with us. Since it doesn't get dark till late we were out here waiting for the sun to go down. Anthony was with us."

"Well thank you." Harry went off crossing Anthony's name off as he went.

Harry didn't have to check with Padma, because she was complaining loudly at dinner yesterday, about how she had to do rounds on the sixth floor, right before dinner. Harry crossed her name off and his stomach tightened as he looked down at the next name. Draco Malfoy.

He found Malfoy by himself in the corridor on his way to the Great Hall. Harry was shocked; he had never seen Malfoy by himself. Malfoy was walking in circles talking to himself, but stopped when he heard Harry.

"Oh, it's you Potter," he drawled when he saw Harry.

"Malfoy, I have to ask you a question." Harry looked every where but at Malfoy.

"What does the famous Harry Potter want to know?" Malfoy looked amused.

"Where were you yesterday around dinner time?"

"None of you business Potter, but if you have to know I was stuck doing rounds with Patil."

Harry was about to say thank you, but realized who he was talking to. So instead just went past him and into the Great Hall. He looked down at his list crossing out the last name. His theory was in ruins, he must have made a mistake some where. He scanned the list again. Then his eyes stopped on Pansy Parkinson. He had skipped her name! His hope soared and he went to lunch.

He sat down across from Ron and Hermione in order to keep an eye on Pansy. She was sitting next to Malfoy and laughing. Every once and a while her eyes would flicker onto Hermione, but she stopped when she noticed Harry was watching her.

"Harry!" Harry snapped out of it when Ron shouted his name.

"Ah, what?" Harry asked.

"I was just saying to Ginny, that you are still trying to find out who Hermione goes and sees everyday." He motioned to Hermione's empty seat, and Harry stared. He hadn't even noticed that she had left.

"Yeah," Harry muttered his eyes back on Pansy.

"Forget it," Ron said and he went on talking to Ginny.

Just then, Harry saw Pansy get up and leave. Quickly Harry got up and left, hurrying just a tad so that he and Pansy left at the same time. After they got into the Great Hall, Pansy grabbed and pushed him down into an empty corridor.

"Why where you staring at me at lunch?" She demanded.

"Why where you staring at Hermione?" Harry retorted.

"I wasn't."

"And I wasn't staring at you. By the way, you dropped this in the library." He was making a bold move, but that was the only way he was going to get answers. He held out the Prefect Badge to her.

She stared at him for a moment then took her badge from his hand. Harry felt a successful feeling envelope him.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked bewildered.

"I asked everyone else first," he said truthfully. "Why were you spying on Hermione anyway?"

"You'll laugh," she said simply.

"Trust me; I don't consider this a laughing matter." Harry was serious.

"Well, I have a feeling that she is seeing a Slytherin privately." She confessed.

"I know that she is meeting someone privately, but I don't know who. Are you sure it is a Slytherin?"

"Positive." She seemed happy that Harry was taking her seriously.

"I have to find out who."

"So do I." They stared at each other; they knew what they had to do to solve this mystery. "I guess we'll have to work together to solve it." Pansy voiced what they were both thinking.

"Yeah, I guess so," Harry answered.

"Meet me here tonight at seven, they meet in the dungeons at eight, so that will give us time to get to the dungeons and everything."

"How will we know which dungeon to go to?"

"Leave that to me." With that Pansy disappeared around the corner.

Harry felt a sensation in the pit of his stomach. Tonight he was going to find out who Hermione was hiding from him and Ron.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4:_ _Trapped_ **

That night at seven Harry waited under the invisibility cloak for Pansy. So many things had changed since Harry had last stood in this spot. He fumed at the thought of Ron, how could he have just done that? Harry had trusted him and he had i _told Hermione_ /i !

_It had been right after Harry and Pansy talked, being a good friend Harry decided to tell Ron about it. The little voice in Harry's head told him to wait and see what would happen, and then tell Ron, but Harry went against his better instinct and told him. Ron's face had been easy to read, it clearly showed worry and for some reason anger._

_"So…" Ron had said. "Are you going to meet Pansy tonight?" His face was a mask of indifference._

_"Yeah! Why shouldn't I?"_

_"Because she is a Slytherin!" Ron had just blown up in his face._

_"I know that, but I think I can trust her. Just this once." He couldn't believe Ron._

_"Why do you think you can trust her NOW?"_

_"Do you think I want to trust her? I have no choice!" Harry bellowed across the room. Ron gave him an icy stare._

_"You have a choice. You could just trust Hermione."_

_"I've tried, but I have to know. Please don't tell Hermione about tonight. Please Ron." Finally Ron agreed not to tell._

As Harry remembered this he grinded his teeth together. It was true, Ron hadn't told Hermione about the meeting Harry had with Pansy that night, but what he said was ten times worse. He had found out about what Ron said, not from Ron, but Ginny. She had been in the room when Ron had told Hermione.

_He had told Hermione that he and Harry had been trying to find out who Hermione's mystery guy was. This went over well, because she already knew that. Then he presided to tell Hermione that b he /b gave up, but Harry wouldn't. Also that Harry had found someone to help him find out who would help him, at this point he said Pansy Parkinson. Hermione didn't like this. Ginny said the whole room shook, so she couldn't tell what Hermione was saying, but she made out a few things. When Harry asked what they were Ginny went wide eyed and looked over his shoulder._

_Hermione was there and she looked mad. Thanking Ginny hurriedly Harry jumped up and left._

_"Run Harry!" Ginny shouted after him._

_"Harry!" Hermione roared after him. "Come back here!"_

Harry shuddered slightly at the memory. Hermione's voice echoed through his head. He was in so much trouble when he got back to the common room tonight. Because he was certain that Hermione would find out, one way or another.

Pansy looked around the apparently deserted corridor. Harry watched with interest, he wondered why she couldn't see him, until he realized that he was wearing the invisibility cloak.

"Potter, where are you?" She muttered to herself.

"Right here." Harry took off the cloak and Pansy screeched. "Be quiet, you don't want someone to find us do you?"

She eyed the cloak respectfully. "That is a good thing to have, we'll definitely need it."

"Great, now can we get going?" With that Pansy went under the invisibility cloak and Harry followed.

It felt odd being under the invisibility cloak with Pansy. She was taller than Hermione, but shorter than Ron. Which made her practically the same size as Harry, the cloak usually covered three people. So it made it easier to cover two people.

"Pansy where are we going?" Harry whispered.

"To the dungeons, and don't talk!" She retorted and turned her attention to the tunnels in front of her. Harry stayed quiet as they made their way through the twists and turns of the dungeon. He knew that if he had gone alone, he wouldn't have been able to get there. This made it important that he didn't get separated from Pansy, other wise he would never find his way back.

Soon Harry's legs began to ache, he wanted to ask Pansy how long until the reached there, but knew she wouldn't answer. Or he would just get scolded again. Finally, they came to a halt at the turn in a corridor.

"We can talk here," Pansy said, "the place were they are going to meet is just around the corner. They'll be here in about twenty minutes, so we have to be careful." She looked at him expectantly.

"What?" He was startled by the look.

"You're going to ask a question, aren't you?"

"How did you? Oh, never mind," he stood there brooding until curiosity got the better of him. "How do you know what room?" He voiced finally.

She smiled at him knowingly. "I put a magic barrier around it last time I was here, then I came again every day that week and the beginning of this week. It hasn't changed yet, in fact it only changed once, but I don't know why."

"That was me, I made some noise and they heard. They didn't use that spot again." He smiled, more to himself than anything.

Harry looked around at the windowless walls and sighed, he longed for an open window, a fresh breeze. "How do you survive without windows?"

"You would never have been able to be a Slytherin," she said to him. "You get use to it after a while." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm glad the Sorting Hat picked Gryffindor instead." Harry shivered at the thought of being in Slytherin, and then realized he had told Pansy the one thing that he hadn't even told Ron and Hermione.

"The Sorting Hat thought of putting you in Slytherin?" Pansy looked intently at Harry, who shook his head yes slightly. "Oh, the Sorting Hat thought of putting me in Gryffindor, but before I could say where I wanted to go it chose Slytherin."

Harry looked at the Slytherin girl and a feeling of respect engulfed him. He shook his head to clear the feeling off, but continued to look at Pansy. "If you had been able to tell the hat where you wanted to go, what would you have told it?"

She stood there silent for a while staring at the cold, damp floor. "Gryffindor," she said silently, Harry almost didn't catch it. "I would have asked to be in Gryffindor."

Silence met this statement, and Harry examined a spot on the floor. He felt very uncomfortable. Just then voices sounded from behind them. Pansy, completely forgetting about the invisibility cloak rushed around the corner. Harry looked behind him, then to where Pansy had disappeared. He had to choose and quickly, curiosity to who Hermione was with and knowing that if he didn't find Pansy, he would never find his way out of the dungeons. He put on the cloak and followed Pansy. He'd find out who Hermione was with later.

He didn't have trouble finding Pansy, just as he turned the corner, she dashed down a hall. Harry followed and turned down into the passage that Pansy had disappeared at full speed. He stopped just before running into a wide eyed Pansy.

"Harry is that you?" She murmured worriedly.

Harry took off his cloak and smiled at a relieved Pansy. "They're coming."

She just nodded and got under the cloak with Harry. "We need to be quiet now," and with that she lead Harry to a door. It swung gently, as though someone had just closed it behind themselves.

Voices creped through a crack in the door, one he knew immediately to be Hermione's voice. The other seemed to be a distant memory, as though he hadn't heard the voice in a long time. When this voice floated through the crack in the door Pansy took a sharp intake of breath and let it out in a slow hiss. Harry knew this almost evil side of her, was because of Malfoy. Again the voices sounded and Pansy went pale, she seemed about to faint when he heard Hermione's voice bellow out.

"HE INVOLVED PANSY PARKINSON!" She screamed out.

"Calm down Hermione." Where he had heard that voice? Pansy seemed ready to go in there and strangle the person in there. Harry decided it would be best if he got Pansy out of there as soon as possible. He literally dragged her away from the door and the two people behind it.

"Pansy," Harry gently shook her. "Pansy, are you ok?" She snapped out of it and went deathly pale again. "Pansy, do you know who Hermione is with?"

"Yes," she didn't seem to want to admit it though.

"Who?" Harry asked gently.

"Him," she spoke_him_with venom.

"I don't know what you mean by that, Pansy. Pansy?" She strode out from under the invisibility cloak and headed off. Not to the door, where voices still issued from the crack, but to the apparent exit.

Harry ran after her, trying to find out which way she went. A swish of a cloak and sometimes a whispered curse were the only things that told him he was on track. Finally, he took a wrong turn and listened silently for something, anything that would tell him where Pansy was. Nothing. Silence wrapped Harry in its cold, frozen grip and threatened to squeeze him into nothing. He took a deep calming breath, if this was an ordinary situation, Harry would retrace his steps. He looked behind him, it looked like everything else. That part wasn't possible. He looked around to see if there was anything he recognized. This part of the dungeon had pictures and drapes, which hung on most of the walls, except a mossy stretch. Harry did a double take on the mossy wall.

No, it couldn't be. He examined the wall hurriedly, well. Harry might still be lost, but at least he knew where he was. He was in front of the Slytherin common room entrance. There was a swishing of a robe behind him.

To make matters worse Hermione's night time friend was going back to his common room and with dread Harry realized he had dropped his invisibility cloak right at the corner of the hallway. This just so happened to be the corner that the mystery guy was coming around.

Without thinking Harry went instinctively for the cloak. He grabbed it and had it half on when he herd a gentle thud. Someone grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. He looked around; the invisibility cloak was wrapped tightly around him. Finally he realized that he was in the Slytherin Common Room. Pansy shoved him into an empty room.

"Hey!" Harry muttered as she threw the door close in his face. He was so tempted to open the door a crack and see who was coming into the room. His hand reached out to touch the door knob. Carefully he put it in the palm of his hand and turned it. It wouldn't turn; Pansy had locked the door from the outside.

He was locked inside the Slytherin Common Room, by Pansy Parkinson. To make matters worse there was an overwhelming feeling in his stomach, the one that told him to fight. Fight for freedom, fight for the light. That feeling was what helped him over come his fears, his fears of being trapped. That was exactly what he was, trapped.


End file.
